David Brooks

One of the things I think about and worry about is, I don't think we're ever going back to a pre-Trump presidency.

which we had presidencies that were self-restrained and they were restrained by norms.

They were restrained by laws, but the presidents, I would interview them all.

And I asked one president on his final day in office, what'd you learn being president that you didn't know before?

And he said, I learned there's a lot of passive aggressive behavior in government.

The president says something and nothing happens.

And those were the restraints that were built into the system.

Donald Trump has shown you can crash through all those restraints, both the legal and normative ones.

And I have trouble believing any future president is going to want to give back all that power.

And so we could be walking, whoever wins, we could be walking into an age where presidential power is ramped up and congressional power continues to deteriorate, which is a primary distortion of our system of government.

It's great to be extending our lifelong friendship.

Bye-bye.

Well, obviously, they're trying to send a note of intimidation, not only to her, but to all judges and maybe to all Americans. But I don't yet know the specific details of this case, whether she escorted the guy out the jury door or whether she's let him. So that's all murky. I don't want to comment on this specific case.

Well, obviously, they're trying to send a note of intimidation, not only to her, but to all judges and maybe to all Americans. But I don't yet know the specific details of this case, whether she escorted the guy out the jury door or whether she's let him. So that's all murky. I don't want to comment on this specific case.

Well, obviously, they're trying to send a note of intimidation, not only to her, but to all judges and maybe to all Americans. But I don't yet know the specific details of this case, whether she escorted the guy out the jury door or whether she's let him. So that's all murky. I don't want to comment on this specific case.

But especially on the issue of immigration, there are a lot of people who are appalled by what the administration is doing. and there will be times for civil disobedience. And to me, let's say she did escort this guy out the door. If federal enforcement agencies come to your courtroom and you help a guy escape, that is two things.

But especially on the issue of immigration, there are a lot of people who are appalled by what the administration is doing. and there will be times for civil disobedience. And to me, let's say she did escort this guy out the door. If federal enforcement agencies come to your courtroom and you help a guy escape, that is two things.

But especially on the issue of immigration, there are a lot of people who are appalled by what the administration is doing. and there will be times for civil disobedience. And to me, let's say she did escort this guy out the door. If federal enforcement agencies come to your courtroom and you help a guy escape, that is two things.

One, it strikes me as maybe something illegal, but it also strikes me as something heroic. And in times of trouble, then people are sometimes called to do civil disobedience. And in my view, when people do civil disobedience, they have to pay the price. That's part of the heroism of it, frankly.

One, it strikes me as maybe something illegal, but it also strikes me as something heroic. And in times of trouble, then people are sometimes called to do civil disobedience. And in my view, when people do civil disobedience, they have to pay the price. That's part of the heroism of it, frankly.